State of the Art of North American Mennonite History
A weekend conference, October 1 and 2, 2004
University of Winnipeg, Eckhart Gramatte Hall
Purpose | Friday's Agenda | Saturday's Agenda | Acknowledgements | Lodging/Food/Registration
The “State of the Art of North American Mennonite History” conference asks participants to reflect on the historiography of Mennonites in Canada and the United States (the conveners recognize that Mexico, too, is part of North America, but decided to focus on the two northern countries). The aim of the conference is to hear from Mennonite historians: from both those in graduate studies and those who teach and publish in Mennonite history; from both practitioners in church-run universities and in public institutions. Participants are asked to evaluate the trends in Mennonite history in North America and provide an insight into their own research in the field. The themes are not exhaustive, and others themes including nationalism, communications, education, and health care could have been added. It is hoped that a representative-enough cross section of Mennonite life will have been examined to provide a sense of the unique features of the history Mennonites in North America.
This conference was preceded by a very successful conference in 1997 in Abbotsford BC, “One People, Many Stories,” the proceedings of which were published in Mennonite Quarterly Review. The 1997 conference was meant to celebrate the completion of two historical series, the four-volume Mennonite Experience in America and the three-volume Mennonites in Canada, and especially the final volumes by Paul Toews and T.D. Regehr. The 2004 conference brings into focus a forthcoming book, that is, the North American volume of the A Global Mennonite History series. The keynote address will be given by the general editor of this five-volume series is Dr. John Lapp, the respondent is Barbara Nkala, an author of the first volume of the series, the one on Africa. It is hoped that this conference will assist the authors of the North American volume, Steve Nolt and Royden Loewen, to conceptualize the book.
The Chair in Mennonite Studies at the University of Winnipeg welcomes all presenters and visitors attending the conference. The conveners plan to publish the majority of the conference papers in the 2005 or 2006 issue of the Journal of Mennonite Studies. To subscribe contact r.loewen@uwinnipeg.ca.
Friday: 9:00-9:10: Opening
Welcome and Introductions:
Royden Loewen, University of Winnipeg
Friday: 9:10-10:30: Theology
and Ideology
Chair: Irma Fast Dueck, Canadian
Mennonite University
- Bruce Guenther, Trinity Western University, “Evangelicalism”
- Karl Koop, Canadian Mennonite University, “Anabaptism”
- Nate Yoder, Eastern Mennonite University, “Fundamentalism”
Coffee: 10:30-10:45
Friday: 10:45-12:00: Mennonites
in Fiction
Chair: Al Reimer, University
of Winnipeg
- Ann Hostetler, Goshen College, “American Literature”
- Tom Penner, University of Winnipeg, “Canadian Literature”
Friday: 1:30-3:00: Race,
Missions and Inter-Ethnicity
Chair: Darryl Climenhaga,
Providence College
- Malinda Berry, Union Theological Seminary
- Donovan Jacobs, Mennonite Church Canada
- Juan Martinez, Fuller Theological Seminary
- Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, Menno Simons College
Coffee: 3:00-3:30
Friday: 3:30-5:00: Identities:
Gender and Ethnicity
Chair: Alexander Freund,
University of Winnipeg
- Marlene Epp, Conrad Grebel University College, “Gender”
- M.J. Heisey, State University of New York-Potsdam, “Family”
- Hans Werner, University of Winnipeg, “Ethnicity”
Dinner Break: 5:00-7:00
Friday: 7:00-9:00: North
America and the Global Mennonite History Project
Chair: Royden Loewen, University
of Winnipeg
- Prayer: Ted Friesen, Founding President, Mennonite History Society of Canada
- University Greetings: Neil Besner, Dean of Humanities, University of Winnipeg
- Conference Objectives: Steve Nolt, Goshen College
- Keynote Address: “North America and the Global Mennonite History Project,” John Lapp, Goshen, Indiana
- Response: “A Perspective from Africa,” Barbara Nkala, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Saturday:
9:00-10:30 a.m.: Money Matters
Chair: Sam Steiner, Vice President, Mennonite Historical Society of Canada
- Perry Bush, Bluffton College, “Economics”
- Lucille Marr, McGill University, “Mennonite Central Committee”
- Steve Nolt, Goshen College, “Giving”
Coffee: 10:30-11:00
Saturday: 11:00-12:00:
Church Life
Chair: Esther Epp Tiessen,
Mennonite Central Committee
- Jonathan Dueck, University of Alberta, Edmonton, “Worship”
- Fred Kniss, Loyola University, Chicago, “Conflict”
Lunch
Saturday: 1:30-3:00: Regional
Church History Panel
Chair: Adolf Ens, Canadian
Mennonite University
- Jack Heppner, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church [invited]
- Jacob Kleinsauser, Hutterite Brethren
- Gerry Ediger, Mennonite Brethren [invited]
- Anna Ens, Mennonite Church Manitoba
- Abe Rempel, Old Colony Mennonite
Coffee/Faspa: 3:00-3:30
Saturday: 3:30-5:00 Peace
and Justice
Chair: TBA
- Rachel Waltner Goossen, Washburn University, “Peace Movements”
- Janis Thiessen, University of New Brunswick, “Labour and Class”
- Royden Loewen, University of Winnipeg, “Environment”
Saturday: 5:00-5:30: Conference Wrap Up
Conference Respondents: Walter Sawatsky, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary; Ted Regehr, University of Calgary
- University of Winnipeg:
- Neil Besner, Dean of Humanities
- Bob Casson, secretarial service
- Warren Schuetz, graphic design
- Claudius Soodeen, technical support
- Conference Grants:
- Dr. David and Katherine Friesen Family Foundation
- Mennonite Historical Society of Canada
- The University of Winnipeg
- Holiday Inn, 360 Colony Street, Winnipeg (Ph: 204-786-7011)
- Ask for the “Mennonite Studies Conference at the University of Winnipeg” rate
Food Services
- Riddell Hall Cafeteria, University of Winnipeg
- Greek and Mexican, one block west on Ellis Avenue
- fast food, one block west and one block east on Portage Avenue
- Vietnamese and Indian, one block north on Sargent Avenue
- Other restaurants in Bus Depot, Holiday Inn and Portage Place Mall, one-two blocks east on Portage Avenue
Conference Registration
- no advance registration is required, admission is free, donations are welcome.
ALL SESSIONS WILL BE HELD AT:
ECKHARDT GRAMATTÉ HALL, UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG